The peat is widespread everywhere because of the moist nature of the climate and sometimes the peat's only an inch or two thick, but in these hollows, it's sometimes a couple of feet thick. And then there is the more extensive area further over where you have probably six or seven or eight feet of peat, with patterns of pools developing. So, the peat develops according to the nature of the local terrain; if there are deeper hollows between the lochs where the water is held, in some cases they fill with open water, in other cases there has, in the past, been open water but the vegetation's taken over and it's grown up into small examples of tiny raised bogs, and it continues to grow as the vegetation grows and dies back; you get a slow accumulation of peat on an annual basis.

And you can find examples like this over other parts of Skye, and indeed, this is one of the best areas on Skye for this particular type of peatland habitat. But, when you go into Scotland, on the mainland, places like Caithness and Sutherland, areas like the Knockfin Heights and so on, and if you go down even to Lochaber, places like Claish Moss, you have these very vast tracts of peatland which have developed and they grow these - they develop these extraordinary pattern of pools - linear pools and irregular shaped pools. This happens to be one of the best examples on Skye of that type of habitat which is probably more widespread and better developed on mainland Scotland

Cruthachadh mòine, Na Lochan Dubha, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach

INBHIR NIS

1980an; 1990an

cruthan-tìre; cruth-tìre; claistinneach

Taigh-tasgaidh is Gaileiridh Ealan Inbhir Nis

Bill Sinclair Audio: Andrew Currie, Skye Naturalist

San earrainn èisteachd seo, cluinnear fear-eòlais nàdair air an Eilean Sgitheanach - Anndra Currie - agus e a' bruidhinn ri Uilleam Mac na Ceàrdaich mu dheidhinn mar a tha mòine a' tighinn gu bith an sgìre nan Loch Dubha, eadar An t-Àth Leathann agus Armadal.<br />
<br />
The peat is widespread everywhere because of the moist nature of the climate and sometimes the peat's only an inch or two thick, but in these hollows, it's sometimes a couple of feet thick. And then there is the more extensive area further over where you have probably six or seven or eight feet of peat, with patterns of pools developing. So, the peat develops according to the nature of the local terrain; if there are deeper hollows between the lochs where the water is held, in some cases they fill with open water, in other cases there has, in the past, been open water but the vegetation's taken over and it's grown up into small examples of tiny raised bogs, and it continues to grow as the vegetation grows and dies back; you get a slow accumulation of peat on an annual basis. <br />
<br />
And you can find examples like this over other parts of Skye, and indeed, this is one of the best areas on Skye for this particular type of peatland habitat. But, when you go into Scotland, on the mainland, places like Caithness and Sutherland, areas like the Knockfin Heights and so on, and if you go down even to Lochaber, places like Claish Moss, you have these very vast tracts of peatland which have developed and they grow these - they develop these extraordinary pattern of pools - linear pools and irregular shaped pools. This happens to be one of the best examples on Skye of that type of habitat which is probably more widespread and better developed on mainland Scotland